Sep 16, 2008

The Unites States of Agreeableness

"The results are in: New Yorkers are stressed and unfriendly but intellectually inclined, while people who live in Georgia and Florida are sociable and energetic. A group of Cambridge University researchers say they have scientifically confirmed what most people already suspected. In a six-year study of the personalities of almost 620,000 Americans, the researchers found that character traits closely tracked the country's different regions. The research showed that Americans on the eastern seaboard were "more anxious and impulsive" while westerners were comparatively relaxed.

Participants in the study answered an online questionnaire in which they were asked to read short statements, such as "I see myself as someone who is outgoing", or "I see myself as someone who is very religious," and indicate their level of agreement. Other findings: people from Arizona, a politically conservative state, received a high ranking for "conscientiousness" but a low one on "neuroticism". Researchers said that indicated that people there "like order and discipline, but are fairly relaxed". Some of the poorest states in the US ranked high for "neuroticism", which the researchers described as "anxious, stressful and impulsive". Those states, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana and West Virginia, are five of the six poorest, measured by median household income."— The Gaurdian

No comments:

Post a Comment